Do comic books lean left?

With a comic book aficionado about to be sworn in as the president of the United States, it's no surprise that comic book makers are eager to capitalize on their new inside-in-the-beltway connection. But is it true that comic books are now turning partisan?

He notes that in the USA Today story about the Obama-Spider-Man special writer David Colton says that although US presidents have appeared in comics since the days of FDR, in recent years, "presidents have appeared as more shadowy figures."

Shepherd quotes Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada who insists that he and his artists and writers "do our best to be completely non-partisan and treat presidents with respect."

But Shepherd then refutes that claim by referring to a story by Michael Lackner on FrontPageMag.com that reports that in late 2001, a Marvel Comics storyline portrayed Bush as "a slobbering belching incoherent drunk, gleefully itching to launch nuclear missiles." In the same story, The Punisher, Marvel Comics’ avenging vigilante, makes a threat on Bush's life – "only weeks after September 11th. "

It may, however, require a deeper reading to truly deconstruct the politics of comic books.